Laundry detergent composition and method of making thereof

Abstract

A mixture of sulfates is made by dimerizing one or more even numbered alpha olefins to produce one or more vinylidenes; hydroformylating the vinylidene(s) to produce a mixture of alcohols; and sulfating the mixture of alcohols to form alcohol sulfates. The sulfates are useful in laundry detergents and other surfactants.

1 . A process of making a mixture of sulfates comprising:
 a. dimerizing one or more even numbered alpha olefins to produce one or more vinylidenes;   b. hydroformylating the vinylidene(s) to produce a mixture of alcohols; and   c. sulfating the mixture of alcohols to form alcohol sulfates.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the even numbered alpha olefins comprise alpha olefins having from 4 to 16 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the even numbered alpha olefins comprise alpha olefins having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the even numbered alpha olefins comprise a mixture of C6 and C8 alpha olefins. 
     
     
         5 . A process of making a mixture of sulfates comprising:
 a. dimerizing 1-octene to produce 2-hexyl-1-decene;   b. hydroformylating the 2-hexyl-1-decene to produce an alcohol mixture consisting essentially of 8-methyl-hexadecanol, 10-methyl-hexadecanol and 3-hexyl-undecanol; and   c. sulfating the mixture of alcohols to produce 8-methyl-hexadecanol sulfate; 10-methyl-hexadecanol sulfate and 3-hexyl-undecanol sulfate.   
     
     
         6 . A laundry detergent composition comprising the alcohol sulfates produced in  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . The laundry detergent composition of  claim 6  wherein sulfates with 16 and 18 carbon atoms are not present. 
     
     
         8 . A composition consisting essentially of 8-methyl-hexadecanol, 10-methyl-hexadecanol and 3-hexyl-undecanol. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 8  wherein the combination of 8-methyl-hexadecanol and 10-methyl-hexadecanol is at least 50 wt % of the total composition. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 8  wherein the combination of 8-methyl-hexadecanol and 10-methyl-hexadecanol is at least 70 wt % of the total composition. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 8  wherein the combination of 8-methyl-hexadecanol and 10-methyl-hexadecanol is at least 80 wt % of the total composition. 
     
     
         12 . A method of improving the rate of biodegradation of laundry wastewater comprising using a laundry detergent composition comprising branched alkyl alcohol derivatives wherein at least 50% of the branching occurs on even numbered carbon atoms. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least 80% of the branching occurs on even numbered carbon atoms. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the laundry detergent composition does not comprise any alcohol derivatives that have more than or less than 17 carbon atoms.